1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to astronaut gloves for a space suit, and more particularly, to astronaut gloves with finger extensions to provide finger dexterity for astronauts while working in the hostile environment of space.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Astronaut gloves are, of necessity, very cumbersome with respect to finger dexterity. Because of the nature of the environment in which astronauts work, astronaut space suits are inherently stiff and difficult to move with any degree of ease of motion. Gloves are especially difficult to use for certain types of work required in the repair and assembly of elements in space. Moreover, the astronaut suits and gloves include tubes for heating and cooling. The many layers involved in the astronaut gloves render them very difficult to use when grasping is needed or desired to any degree of flexibility. The present invention overcomes the problems of the prior art and provides astronauts with dexterity not found in the prior art by providing finger extensions on the gloves.
Finger splints have been used for many, many years for immobilizing sprained or broken fingers. Moreover, there are types of gloves in the prior art that use elements to immobilize fingers for various reasons, such as arthritis or multiple broken or sprained fingers. Essentially, splints have been adapted to such gloves. In some cases splints may be secured to basic gloves with hook and loop fastening elements. However, such gloves are not comparable to astronaut gloves. And splints are not comparable to extensions for cumbersome astronaut gloves to enable astronauts to work in the hostile environment of space.
Gloves have also been suggested that have tips to enable gardeners to facilitate gardening functions by including fixed tips to finger elements of the gloves or to adaptations of second or outer glove elements that may be put on over flexible gardening gloves. In the latter situation, flexible elements are secured to the outer glove and extend outwardly from finger elements of the inner glove. Again, such adaptations of basic gardening gloves are not comparable to extensions for cumbersome astronaut gloves to enable astronauts to work in the hostile environment of space.